56: The Children’s Hospital
TARA
This wasn’t supposed to be happening.
‘What?‘ You would ask.
All of it.
None of this was supposed to be happening.
Aidan wasn’t supposed to be stepping into my life and doing a three–sixty on everything I knew or thought I knew about him.
Aidan was supposed to be the man who sent Kayla to bathe my baby in acid and stick a blade in my stomach, and not the one whose body shook and eyes glazed with tears when he thought that my life was ending.
Aidan was supposed to be my nemesis, not my hero.
His voice cut through my thoughts. “Tara, keep your eyes open.”
He scooted closer to me on the floor and pulled me to his chest. This way, I could feel all the heat from his bare body, and hear the way his heart was pounding erratically in his chest. Aidan rocked me back and forth against himself, sputtering words, and something hit me.
Aidan was praying.
I slowly snapped out of whatever shock or haze I was in, and I
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shook my head, finding my voice.
“Aidan.”
He made an unintelligible sound, and I took that as a yes.
“It was a blade, Aidan,” I said, lifting my hand weakly to show him the deep cut on my palm. “I’m okay,” I whispered.
Aidan paused for what felt like forever, I could see the wheels shifting in his eyes, and then, he finally let out a shaky breath. One that shook his entire body.
“I’m okay,” I repeated, still trying to understand the meaning behind everything that was happening at lightning speed.
Aidan nodded, and he pulled back, but I could still feel his warmth on me.
It only took a few more seconds for the weight of what had just happened to hit me.
I almost just lost my life because of one moment of reckless thinking. If the StoneWolf beside us had succeeded in infecting me, or worse, killing me without me knowing where my child was or if she was safe, what peace would that have brought to me?
My sobs immediately broke through, making me even madder than I already was of myself.
“Shhh shhh, it’s okay,” Aidan crooned as he took my head in his arms and cradled me like a baby.
My body still shook violently, and couldn’t stop the tears if I tried.
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“It’s okay, Tara. He didn’t harm you. I’m here,” Aidan continued,
and I forced myself to nod weakly even though I didn’t know if Aidan’s words we
Aidan’s words were for me or him.
After a few heartbeats, I spoke through the desert that had
sprung in my throat. “I’m so…I’m sorry. I didn’t think this through. I thought that…”
He stopped me. “It’s okay, Tara. I didn’t sit behind when I found out my kid was missing either, so I didn’t expect you to. It’s okay. Let me see your hand.”
I shook my head because the larger problem still lingered. Nadia was still missing, and if only a few minutes of me being out in this chaos brought this upon me, what would that mean for my child?
My tears threatened to come back in stronger waves, but I forced them back as a renowned strength filled me.
I didn’t know where it was from, but my only thought now was that I had to be strong for my daughter.
So I turned to Aidan. “Did you find anything?”
Aidan shook his head once, letting his vulnerability show on his face from the wrinkled lines across his forehead.
He was just as worried about her as I was.
A question popped in my head.
Did this mean that Aidan loved Nadia just as much as I did?
I pushed it to the back of my mind, not letting the thought linger, because that would only complicate things more.
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Aidan spoke. “It was too dangerous, so I could only get a number of people out in this storm with the number of Stone Wolves around. They’ve been looking, but nothing tangible yet. I have my number out to everyone, and either of us would get a call once they spot anything.”
Aidan must have noticed how my heart broke because he spoke again.
“It’s okay, Tara. She’s somewhere. I can’t explain how I know it, but we’ll find her. Come on, we do not have much time to waste, so let’s start looking together. Wait here.”
Aidan quickly disappeared into the shadows before I could talk, but he returned only seconds later, wearing nothing but dark grey sweatshorts, and he led me away from the scene.
We trod the empty streets softly, calling for Nadia, and seconds turned into minutes, and the minutes stretched into more.
minutes.
The storm had lessened in intensity, and my eyes adjusted to the darkness, but that was my only consolation.
We hadn’t heard anything yet.
The what–ifs formed a wide map in my mind, and right when I thought I was going to break down because I couldn’t take it anymore, a sharp ring cut through the air, startling me.
“It’s my phone,” Aidan said quickly, and I nodded, rubbing a hand over my chest to calm my racing heart.
Aidan pulled the phone from his pocket to see the caller, and hope blossomed in my chest.
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Turning to me with a frown, I knew that my hopes were once again dashed against a stone.
“It’s an unknown caller,” Aidan said, pressing the phone to his. ear. Leaving the formalities behind, Aidan spoke.
“Aidan Graham.”
I could hear Aidan’s conversation with the caller, but I watched his face to pick up any reaction that I could.
Aidan was silent as they spoke, and my heart rose higher in my body that it became harder to draw each passing breath or even stand upright.
I was becoming lightheaded as I heard Aidan draw strained
breaths, and I didn’t realize I had started crying until I tasted salt on my lips.
Aidan crossed his free hand over his chest, nodding, even
though the person on the other end couldn’t see him, and when I heard him say. “I understand. We’ll be right there,” my whimpers increased.
Aidan shoved the phone in his pocket without looking, and he took my hands in his.
“It’s the children’s hospital.”
“Oh my goodness,” I cried, my voice breaking, and my body shaking on each word.
Aidan spoke fast.
“She’s okay, Tara. She’s not hurt. They have her.”
